The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-24
MAYOR HEWITT

| Aho Ai,o"Ne anu deTuM relrAln IRON
any remarks. E.GT.I a
MAYOR HEWITT h
On the all Important Question, tho Labo,
G,gS problsm. fg
NEw YonH, Feb.a b.a23.-Mayor Hewitt't
views on tho labor question are som ewhaI
peculiar for II politician. s
His letter Of regret was suppressed a,
tho Brooklyn banquet last night, in defer.
ence, 1t Is said, 10 Governor Hills wishes
The following letter from tho Mayor
was read at the New York Southern 80.
ciety's banquet: n. 1'F1 .3T M
There was but one exception in tho Con.
atitution as originally formed 10 the guar.
Antee OF personal liberty to every citizen,
and the result on the fortunes Of the North
and South was most marked, and 10 now
apparent to ev0ry student OF politics.
Where labor is free, and the citizen may
dispoac OF fiia tfne and effort IS he sees
t!t, progress, even where natural resources
are lew, Is inevitable. iIE(, FE,lI0'6
The resources Of the South in coal and
iron and the other uaet.ll metals wero per.
tectly well known before the civil war. l
called attention to them US early as 1856.
and predicted then tho development which
In now going on, almost miraculous in its
extent and rapidily. suppose tho de.
monstration is complete, even TO every
Southern man, that tho liberty OF the citi.
zen Is essential to tho prosperity OF society,
And yet, while this demonstration has
been going on before our eyes in the
South, retrograde movement has been
inAugurAted in the North, looking to the
enolaycment Of tho citizen and the dc.
struction Of all right to free action, except
SO far as 1t may be exercised in the choice
Of Irresponsible agents to whom secret
organic alton sees tit to intrust power.
Within the last few woeks we have
scen large bodica OF men, confessinr that
they had no grievance, deliberately quit
work on the order Of secret tribunal,
whose power they dared not call into
question, and Of whom every man stood
In dread. 1t Is incredible that in the
North, where the fruits OF free govern
ment and Of the personal right Of each
msn to employ himself according to bis
own will have been so conspicuously
demonstrated by thegrowth OF a hundred
years, any man would be willing to sscri-
fec his personal independence and yield
It to ignorant, selfish md unscrupulous
leaders, using thia power only for their
personal advantage. Indeed, ouch tyranny
would never have been possible but for
the ingenious and dangerous heresy,
which made it possble for men to refuse
work with other men who have not seou
| hejto join these aecret organizations, :
| Society never contemplated that this
powor would DO exercised 30 rs 10 practic.
ally reduce any portion OF tho workmer
OF the land to ths condition OF not being
able to get work upon any terms whatever
except compulsory membership with or
ganizasion governed by secret and ire
sponsib!o tribunal When men who orr
geeking aork find that there is only on.
condltion upon which they eau get it, they
must surrender their private viows ant
their po.sonal Independence to the necos
sities ot the caao. Tho sacrifice having
been made, the power OF the leaders be-
comes acsoluta. We all sympathizs wi.t
tho working men Of the country, and are
glad that tha wages OF labor arc esssdil,
on the increase. We rejoice that capita
has so increased that it daily become!
cheaper to those who arc compelled ti
borrow 1t, because labor profits when the
c5st Of capitali IS reduced. But the benefi!
which woula thus under natural laws
accrue TO the s.ea. mass OF tho people il
largely, il not entirely neutralizsd by the
Losses OF compulsory strikes and enforced
idleness.
No one would intarfe-s with the right
OF FREQ association on the part Of aay
class Of cur citizens. Ga the contrary,
such associations are to bs encouraged up
to the point whero they undertake. to de-.
prive the citizen Of his personal liberty,
at this point, not only the Constitution
ofthe country is attacked. but its progress
in wealth will be checked, and ali incen.
tive to special effort in order to achieve
tho larger rewards due to skill and genius,
will be arrested.
Hence, you Of the South and we OF the
North must take firm and decided
position, that under no circumstances will
we permit the labor OF the citizen TO be
enslaved, and that if additional legisla.
tion is required to meet this new and per.
nicious movement, which would relegate
the North to the condition in which tthe
South was before the war in regard to its
labor, no time ehould be.lost in securing
its enactment. 4 y : q q -
There is no doubt that revision of the
laws relating to employment is necessary,
and while have abundant faith in the
good sense Of our people, and in the uttel
failure of class movements which are q,
war with the fundamental principles o.
the. Constitution, my experience has taught
me that the safeguard Of tho law ia abso
lutely essential for tho security Of society,
and that the enforcement Of the law ia the
best guarantee OF tho stability OF industry
and the equitable distribution Of wealth.
Worry truly, yours,
AL ABaAM 8. HEWITT.